During the match between Nice and Lyon, on Saturday, October 17, the referee stopped the game following hostile chants against Daesh sung during the tribute to the victims of the July 14, 2016, attack. This decision sparked anger and misunderstanding in Nice, where this moment of reflection is part of the collective memory.
Every match at the Allianz Riviera follows an unchanging ritual. At the 86th minute, in memory of the 86 victims of the Nice attack, the stands light up. Supporters applaud, a heart is displayed on the screen, and the names of the deceased scroll across. This Saturday, the Nice public added a chant that has become habitual to this tribute: “Daesh, Daesh, we f*** you.”
A few seconds later, referee Jérôme Brisard stopped the match. According to the OGC Nice’s statement, he asked the announcer “to take the microphone to stop this demonstration or else the match would not resume.” The incident immediately provoked reactions in the stadium.
For many supporters, the interruption was perceived as an affront to the duty of remembrance. The crowd erupted in boos. The referee’s action offended a city still deeply affected by the July 14, 2016, attack, claimed by Daesh.
The president of OGC Nice, Fabrice Bocquet, responded immediately after the match. “This is unacceptable. It’s a lack of respect towards the victims of July 14, their families, and the entire city of Nice. Not just OGC Nice,” he stated.
According to him, the referee explained “not being aware” of the context. “It’s a lack of preparation and sensitivity, and it should never have happened, as the delegate acknowledged. The referee apologized.” The club president indicated that he will address the French Football Federation (FFF) this week to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Strong reactions in Nice and beyond
The controversy grew right after the match concluded. On social media, elected officials and residents of Nice expressed their outrage. Alpes-Maritimes’ deputy Éric Ciotti shared his “dismay” at the “total lack of discernment that led to interrupting Nice-OL tonight.”
The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, criticized a “completely incomprehensible decision.” He added: “a bit of preparation and discernment wouldn’t hurt in these situations.” His deputy, Gaël Nofri, went further, estimating on X that “the referee’s attitude resembles an endorsement of terrorism and must be condemned as quickly as possible by the highest football authorities.”
On the side of the refereeing body, a defense is being organized. Speaking to our colleagues at L’Équipe, the director of French refereeing, Antony Gautier, explained: “I briefly spoke with Jérôme after the match, he clearly heard ‘we f*** you’, but he couldn’t hear the first word, meaning Daesh. If he had been aware of the context, he wouldn’t have, exceptionally, stopped the match.”
However, he reminds that “referees have very clear guidelines from Philippe Diallo, the Federation’s president. They must stop a match for chants of a homophobic, racist, or discriminatory nature. It’s zero tolerance.”
The match commentators themselves highlighted the misinterpretation. One noted live: “But here, Jérôme Brisard is mistaken, it’s not directed at a player, there are insults coming from the stands, but they are for those who knew the unspeakable on July 14.”
In Nice, the matter goes beyond the scope of football. The emotion remains strong, nine years after the attack on the Promenade des Anglais. For many, this tribute is a moment of unity, a symbolic marker. The interruption of the match revived the pain and misunderstanding of a city still marked.
This Sunday, reactions continue to pour in. The Nice supporters express their outrage and attachment to this ritual. The club promises actions with the FFF. The referee has apologized. But in Nice, the incident leaves a feeling of shared hurt.
